Mary (Horton) Farnsworth

On Saturday, March 16, 2019, Mary Farnsworth, loving wife and mother of four children, passed away at the age of 98 after an exceptional life.

Mary was born on August 17, 1920, in Salem, Nebraska, to Stella and James Wallace Horton.  She earned a BA in Home Economics in 1942 from Peru State College in Peru, NE.  She taught school in Nebraska then worked at the Fairmont NE Army Air Force Base where she met her husband.  She married Walter Benjamin Farnsworth on November 14, 1945, in Monessen, PA.  They lived in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York before moving to Kokomo.  They raised three daughters, Susan, Marty, and Kathryn, and one son, Jim.

Mary loved to travel and her family heard about her early trips to the Colorado Rocky Mountains and to Washington DC with college classmates.  She and Walt traveled extensively with Elderhostel (now Road Scholar) to Russia, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe (long before it became popular), Appalachia, and the west coast.  In addition, she enjoyed visiting her grown children in Alaska, Scotland, London and North Carolina.  Later, she combined her love of travel with another love, bird watching, by spending many winters with Walt on St. Simon’s Island, GA.  When they moved to Primrose Retirement Community of Kokomo, she and Walt spent many hours together on their back porch watching birds.  She was also an outdoor enthusiast, enjoying camping, biking and skiing.  As a cyclist, she rode many “Century” rides including the “Hilly Hundred”, where she was awarded the “most distinguished” rider award and was also a founding member of the Kokomo Cycling Club.  She loved to read and regularly checked the New York Times book reviews for the latest non-fiction histories or biographies.  She easily transitioned from weekly visits to the Kokomo library to using her iPad to access books and the latest news from the Wall Street Journal and NY Times. Both Mary and Walt were long time active members of Christ Lutheran Church.   Mary was also known for her cheerfulness, her delight in her grandbabies and great grandbabies and her creation of beauty in her home and garden.

She is survived by daughters, Susan (Daniel) Barco, Durham, NC, Marty (Frank) Ridoux, Kokomo, and Kathryn Farnsworth, Ft. Wayne; son, Jim (Carol) Farnsworth, Houston, TX; grandchildren, Andrew (Hannah) Barco, Chicago, IL, Tim (Monica) Barco, Durham, NC, Lori (David) Rash, Frederick, MD, Mary Corinne Lowenstein, Ft Wayne, IN, Solomon (Katie Belknap) Lowenstein, Arcata, CA, Mason (Kara) Lowenstein, Ft. Wayne, IN, Elizabeth Farnsworth, Katy, TX, and William (Bethany) Farnsworth, Dallas, TX; great-grandchildren, Sarah and Jacob Rash, Frederick, MD, Caleb and Quinn DeGood, Ft. Wayne, IN, Perri, Sadie and Masey Lowenstein, Ft. Wayne, IN, Mason and Tyler, Durham, NC, Peter and Lydia Farnsworth, Dallas, TX; American Field Service daughter, Pirjo Saikko, Latiti, Finland; and sisters, Helen Bradney and Alice Pickering.

Mary was preceded in death by her parents, Stella and Wallace, five brothers and her husband, Walt.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 22, 2019, at Christ Lutheran Church, 3401 S Dixon Rd, Kokomo, with Pastor Sharon Walker officiating.  Friends are invited to visit with the family from 1 to 2 p.m. on Saturday at the church.

Mary’s children give grateful thanks to the staff at Primrose of Kokomo for their loving care of our mother.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to Christ Lutheran Church Memorial Fund or to a charity of your choice.  Shirley & Stout Funeral Homes & Crematory is assisting the family with arrangements. Messages of condolence may be submitted online at www.shirleyandstout.com.

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.